From the world of professional sports to the land of Hollywood, actress, writer, and producer Tiffany Toney has forged a remarkable path marked by determination and a fierce commitment to her craft.
Photographed by Karina Manuzina & Mike Fox.
A former NCAA All-American and pro softball player, Toney’s journey to the big screen is a testament to her unwavering ambition. It’s a path that has culminated in the creation of her groundbreaking feature film, Bora, a project that not only showcases her multifaceted talents but also represents a triumph of independent filmmaking.
Toney’s background is as diverse as her creative output. Hailing from Honolulu, Hawaii, she honed her athletic skills on the softball field, even playing professionally for the Bern Cardinals in Switzerland. But beneath the surface of her athletic prowess lay a deep-seated passion for storytelling. This passion led her to journalism and TV production, working for outlets like NBC and America’s Most Wanted before making the bold decision to move to Los Angeles and pursue her dream of acting. However, like many in the industry, Toney faced obstacles. Frustrated by being told she wasn’t “black enough” or “indigenous enough” for certain roles, she took matters into her own hands. She decided that if she wanted to showcase her acting abilities, she would have to write, produce, and direct her own film.
This decision led to the birth of Bora, a psychological thriller that Toney not only stars in but also wrote and co-directed. The film is a passion project born out of an incredibly challenging time. Toney has spoken openly about the film’s origins during the pandemic, when she and her small team were “at rock bottom, living out of their cars.” The film, as Toney puts it, was a mental escape, a way to channel their creative energy into something special. She invested the last of her money into the project, believing in its potential even when others thought they were “crazy.”
We interviewed with Tiffany in Cannes, France while discussing her journey through acting, producing her own films, creative control, debuting Bora at Cannes Film Festival, her favorite inspirations, and more!
Where are you from?
I live in Los Angeles, born in Hawaii.
The Fox Magazine is all about inspiration. Who or what inspires you the most? Or, yeah, just like on a daily basis?
My dad. He works so hard and he’s so honest, you know, like to a fault. He’s just always such a giver. Like he would give the last shirt on his back to help people, you know, like he really truly understands the meaning of life. And he’s just such a good man, you know, like he adopted me when I was five, maybe four years old when he met my mother. And he is just so phenomenal. Like I don’t know who I would be without him.
Because of the sacrifice and the effort and the work that my mother and my father put into like, you know, just being great parents and working through their relationship ups and downs to be able to be great parents to me. It’s a lot of the reason why I’m able to adapt, adjust, handle adversity, communicate, develop emotional maturity, deal with conflict, all of those things, you know, like I’m not perfect at any of them. But I think when you have a strong foundation, it opens up the world for you. My parents were not rich by any means. My dad was working three or four jobs when I was a kid just so that I could have nice clothes to wear to school so that the people I went to school with didn’t know that we were poor or struggling. And so that he could make it to all of my softball games and make sure I had the right equipment, cleats, the nicest gloves so that I could know, have an opportunity to earn a college scholarship, which I did. You know, my mom, like, went to school in the middle of her life, like when she was like 35, I think, quit her job that she had for 10 years, job security, to go study and be a radiologist because she wanted to elevate her life so that she could be a better, you know, just more stable so that my brother and I could have a better life. And I think that as a parent, like I don’t have children, but as a parent, it’s your responsibility and your obligation to get your shit together, get it together, because your legacy depends on it, you know? Your legacy depends on it. And I’m a product of that sacrifice, and I’m very grateful.
I think that one thing I would love for people to like, or like something that I would like my legacy to leave people with is that like I’m the result of when two men, like a man and a woman decide to like work through their differences to pour into their child, you know? Like when they put their differences aside to like fully pour into their children. Like me and my younger brother, I think we are like the product of that. We’re the example of that.
If more people took that into consideration in their relationships, instead of making it so much about them and just really realizing that you’re literally leaving a legacy behind in someone else and every decision that you make is a part of that. And my parents always, it was always about us first, even if they were hating each other or having a bad day or really going through it financially or whatever. Us as their legacy was always the priority.
How did you start your film journey? When did you first get started?
You know, it’s really interesting. I always knew that I wanted to be an actress or a writer or some sort of storyteller, you know? And when I was a kid and I would get in trouble with my parents, I would always write these long dissertations about why I shouldn’t be grounded. And would have dates and times and reasoning in there from the time I was eight years old. And my dad actually was like, you should be a lawyer. You should go to law school the way you talked yourself out of that one. And I thought about that too. But storytelling just was such a theme in who I was. Even in the way that I played with my friends, we would climb trees and go out in the woods and make little pretend bow and arrows out of sticks and take berries off the trees and make little potions with them. They were probably poisonous. I’m lucky they’re alive actually. I’ve just always been a storyteller, so that’s in my DNA. It’s a part of who I am. But in terms of actually transitioning into the film industry.
I moved to LA when I was like in my early twenties and I just knew that I wanted to be an actress. I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I didn’t know like what it even took to make that happen. I just knew that was how I saw myself. And so when I like right before I moved there I was working at a job that I hated in DC. I was a journalist and I was just too emotionally sensitive to be a journalist. I was crying like people were getting murdered and crime was happening you know things that happened on the news and I was interviewing these people and I was like so emotionally invested in their life stories and I remember thinking like you know journalism is storytelling as well but it’s not it didn’t resonate with who I was so when I moved to LA I started taking acting classes actually right before that right when I was finishing college I made a movie for this film production class called Blackberry pie and it was about three girls that were like, we’re gonna lose our virginities this summer. And then all of them kind of like chickened out. It was like a romantic comedy that I actually wrote. And that was my first ever experience with film was writing that film for my film production class. And I think that project, I actually kind of killed it, right? As an actress, I would kind of killed it. It was like my first time ever acting. And I was like, this is my purpose. This is what I want to do.
Tell us, how old were you when you really first got started and worked on your first project?
Yeah, so my first project that I ever did, like ever, was in college. And I think I was like 18 or 19, like a freshman or sophomore. And that was also when I took my first acting class. I didn’t really take it as serious as I would have had I known like where it could take me. I just didn’t really know what that meant or what that even looked like. But yeah, I was like 18.
And I remember asking my dad if I could use the car to drive to DC, from DC to Philly to go audition for this movie. I don’t remember what it’s called now, but it was a movie with Reese Witherspoon and it was about female softball players. And I was a softball player in college and I played professionally in Europe actually. And so I was like, dude, this movie’s for me, it’s made for me. And so I asked my dad, could I take the car? He told me no.
And I was like, I’m not taking over an answer. I was like, this is my dream. And he just looked at me and kind of laughed. And he was like, OK. But you have to take a friend with you. And so I took a friend with me. And she ended up booking the role but I didn’t. I was devastated. I was so sad. But everything happens as it should. all happens. Everything happens for a reason. Nobody knew where to really put me. Failed audition after failed audition I realized I was going to greenlight myself to be taken seriously.
Now you have amazing work under your belt and your own independently produced films. How did Bora come about?
Yes! Bora is about a girl who goes on a road trip to find herself, a trip for self-discovery. And she meets this roaming stoner in the form of this like sexy, relentless Afro-Latina who kind of shows her a different side of LA that she hasn’t seen before. It’s all fun and games initially until people start dying, and she realizes that this person that she’s been spending time with has a lot of deep-rooted issues.
The theme of this film is basically addressing trauma and how we as humans deal with that in society. And some of us are really good at finding that balance and that like, you know, the middle ground. But then there’s other people who are way on this end of the spectrum. And then some people are way on the other side of the spectrum. And these two characters are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. One of them is extremely naive and a complete doormat. And the other one is completely reckless and unhinged. And both of them kind of have qualities that they admire about each other but they’re both so extreme that there is no middle ground.
It’s kind of like Colombiana meets Dexter, I guess is the best way that I would describe it, you know, meets Thamo and Louise. So yeah, it’s a road trip story. I incorporated a lot of elements from both black and brown culture, and I wanted to infuse the feeling of LA in there, specifically because I wasn’t born in LA, but I feel like LA truly was the place where I had my rebirth. Like it was truly when I found out what it means to just go hard at your dream and just really be faced with the darkest sides of yourself, and then to overcome that and to rise out of that, I definitely faced that, the darkest sides of myself. And I thought it would break me, but it really made me stronger and it gave me so much empathy for people who didn’t grow up in two-parent homes like I did. For people who have had to work to put food on their table since they were 10, 11 years old because their family was first-generation immigrants in this country, know, people like that. I think that’s why, like, the universe God, the creator, allowed me to experience extreme poverty as an adult and to have to be a creator at my maximum potential while experiencing extreme poverty, which was something I had never experienced before. So I’m thankful. People saw me and gave me opportunities. Mark Casey gave me some work for sure, and I’m so grateful.
Believe in yourself and start where you are with what you have, even if it’s just a cell phone and some wireless mics that you got on Amazon Prime, just get to work.
Why should people watch Bora?
Bora is a psychological thriller, of course. It’s got some elements of horror and of course some comedic relief. I think it’s really cool because, you know, after finishing this film, I had two screenings in LA and then I got a chance to screen it during Sundance, which is like phenomenal. We got into the Essence Film Festival, I screened it there. I got to speak on that stage. Kamala Harris actually shared, we were on the same stage as her, which is wild. Regardless of what your political affiliation is, just the fact that you’re on a stage with a vice president, speaking about your film is insane. My whole family got to come and see that movie. And then I took it to Charlottesville, Virginia for a screening.
My friend Ty Cooper, who’s actually a filmmaker, saw the movie and just believed in it so much that he put together a whole tour for me to come and speak there. I was really nervous when I took it to Charlottesville because it was a predominantly white and Asian audience and I had not screened the film for that demographic yet. Later would at Sundance but at this point it hadn’t yet and I was like I hope that you know these references resonate and I hope that they don’t feel isolated or excluded from you know what I’m trying to create and I was so shocked because after they watched it like women from China and Korea and you know white women from Virginia and like the DMV of British Columbia they all came up to me and talked about how the film made them feel so empowered.
All of these women from so many different cultures, so many different ages, so many different categories of wealth, so many different religions, all of these women were feeling equally inspired by what me and my team created. And for me, that was so powerful because that was what I wanted. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect it to be received in that way. And then it had a guy come up to me and say that the movie made him feel more accountable, and that was cool too. I love what I do. I love filmmaking. I love being an actress. I love being a storyteller. It’s such a gift to be able to do this every day. But I think the most important thing for me is my why and my why and the reason that I do it. It’s not to be famous or to be popular. It’s really to leave a legacy behind so that I can be proud of who I was during this lifetime, and that that can be documented for other people to be proud of too. And for my ancestors and my family members who never really had the opportunity to chase their dreams, I feel like I’m the extension of that. And my father, he’s a musician and a dancer and an artist and all of those things, but he had to stop that early to join the military and provide for a family. My mom, she was into fashion. That was her passion. And so to be able to do all of those things and share that with my family in ways that I’ve always wanted to do, it’s just really powerful and that’s why I do this, know, like truly.
I understand that fame is just a natural consequence of that, but it’s not my why. I get the chance to work with people who I’m giving them their first role in a movie. As I was giving myself my big break, I was giving other people their big break. And I didn’t even realize it until they came and told me later, like, hey, I never did hair and makeup for a feature film before until I met you. And I’m like, what? To be able to be that for somebody is like…It’s priceless.
AfroCannes represents the intersection of Black cinema, global storytelling, and high culture, bringing together filmmakers, actors, producers, and tastemakers from across the African diaspora and continent during the Cannes Film Festival.
How has it been to speak at AfroCannes?
It’s been amazing to speak and share my experience on things from a real perspective of working with what you have to get what you want. Like what is your why? You know, and if it’s just to be famous, I mean that’s fine too, like no shade, but it’s like if that’s why you’re doing it, just understand and be prepared for what comes with that, you know? Not everybody has to have the same why as I do. Some people just want to be famous so that they can leverage that. You know, create digital products or whatever, and that’s great too. But whatever your reasoning is, would say just like narrow that down and once you have that and you know what that is, it’ll drive you in the right direction.
Figure out why you’re doing it and what you want.
What is your biggest advice for people looking to get into the film industry?
My biggest advice for people looking to get into the film industry is really just figure out what that means for you and why. Understanding why you want to make films or act or produce, it’s really key because it’s going to be your driving force throughout your journey. If you don’t know why you’re doing it, then you’ll be so scattered and you won’t really have any roots or foundation as you’re going through this difficult journey.
My second piece of advice is definitely like study people who you kind of want to like emulate your career off of or after. Figure out like the mistakes that they made and then with that is finding a good mentor. You know which can be challenging at times I mean for me, I’ve had some really really really great mentors, and they came in the form of people that I least expected. It wasn’t the people that I thought would support me or mentor me.
I would say also focus on where the love is. Like, there’s gonna be haters, there’s gonna be people who are jealous of you, who want to dim your light while pretending to be your friend. Yeah, you know who you are. But there’s gonna be people like that, but you can’t. You can acknowledge it internally, but you kind have to acknowledge it in a way because you have to identify it, should say, not acknowledge. You have to identify it so that you can redirect your energy to where the love is.
Like for me, I have those people but then I have people like yourself who like fully support me and believe in me. I have Fox Magazine who’s given me this opportunity to share more of my story. So I just, I really try my best to just give my energy and my focus to where the love is, and like wherever the support is coming from. More into that instead of leaning so far into being mad at who did me wrong last. Because if I did that, I’d be mad forever. Just keep leaning into the love and the support, and leaning into feelings like gratitude and hopefulness.
Redirect your energy to where the love is.
Tell us something about you that people may be surprised by?
So a lot of people are always trying to figure out where I’m from. Yeah. No matter where I’m at in the world, people think I’m from there, which is kind of a gift, I guess. But it’s a curse when people start speaking languages that I don’t. So then I have to figure that out, you know. But as far as my origins, I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. My mother was born in Guam and she grew up in Honolulu. Went to high school there. So that’s my like nationality is like Hawaiian nationality, but in terms of my actual like bloodline, I did some research on that and it’s indigenous to the North American continent, like quote unquote Native American, if you will. I refer to it as indigenous and then Nigerian, and then there’s some French in there too, which I was shocked about. I was shocked to find that out.
People often blur the lines between culture, race, ethnicity, and nationality, and how all of those things intersect. But I think that makes us really powerful as storytellers because we’re getting to pull from all of those perspectives and then broaden the perspectives of everybody else that’s consuming what we create.
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